Northrop wins navigation technology contract

Northrop Grumman Corp. will provide navigation devices for Republic of Korea military vehicles under a contract the company won with manufacturer Doosan DST Co. Ltd. Company officials declined to release the value of the contract.

Northrops’s LLN-G1 devices are hybrid land navigation systems based on fiber-optic gyros and micro-electromechanical system accelerometers. The units combine inertial sensors with an odometer and GPS data to provide accurate and uninterrupted three-dimensional position and attitude data for vehicle commanders and crews.

The LLN-G1 units will be built by the Northrop’s German navigation systems subsidiary, Northrop Grumman LITEF. The devices are for South Korea's new K21 infantry fighting vehicle.

“Normally found in high-end inertial reference systems, the gyro compassing capability enables the LLN-G1 to establish precise heading without the use of a magnetic compass," said Norbert Sandner, director of marketing and sales for Northrop Grumman LITEF.

Northrop Grumman LITEF is a supplier of inertial sensors, inertial reference and inertial navigation systems and computers for aircraft and ground mobile applications. The company’s land navigation systems are used by the armed forces for 4x4 reconnaissance vehicles to main battle tanks.

Northrop Grumman, of Los Angeles, ranks No. 3 on Washington Technology's 2008 Top 100 list of the largest federal government prime contractors.